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Soyinka Risks Jail Term of Three to Seven Years if He Tears Green Card - Legal Expert

A legal luminary, Mr Kayode Ajulo, has cautioned Nigerian Nobel
Literature Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, against carrying out his threat
to destroy his American Green Card in protest of Donald Trump’s victory at the U.S. Presidential election, NAN reports.

Ajulo gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja. It was reported that Soyinka
issued the threat to destroy his American Citizen’s Card before voting
begun in the keenly contested election between Trump and Hillary
Clinton.

Most people around the World, including some huge population of
Americans, had wished for the Democratic Party’s candidate to win the
race to the White House.

The election of the Republic candidate as the U.S. President-elect had
sent some waves of shock to most countries. Reacting to the threat,
Ajulo warned Soyinka that he risked a jail term of three to seven years,
if he (Soyinka) cut his green card.

“I have no problem with Kogi; he is an opinion moulder, an elder
statesman and nation builder, who should know the implication of such
act.

“Under the American law losing or having your U.S. green card destroyed can be a serious problem,’’ he said.

He said legally such is tagged as wishful destruction of government’s
property. Ajulo said the truth is that Soyinka is far better and far
bigger than that because such act is provocative and unacceptable.

He stressed that the literary icon is free to leave the country but does
not have to tear the card; instead he should return the card as
required by the law. Ajulo said the 82-year-old author, who is currently
a resident scholar at New York University’s Institute of African
American Affairs, should know better.

He said it has a lot of implications for Nigerians. Ajulo said green
cards or passports are valuable documents and should be looked after it
with care.

He said mishandling of passport could stop you from travelling not to
talk of destroying green card. Ajulo described Soyinka as a good
ambassador who cares not just about Nigeria but the world at large,
advising him to keep to it.